There's more to explore in the March issue!

The South has some of the loveliest public gardens in the world. Whenever I visit one as I did for this month’s cover story, I come away with grandiose ideas to try at home. However, I was not blessed with my Mississippi grandmother’s green thumb, and I can count the number of my living houseplants on one hand – and I wouldn’t describe them as healthy.
Then I received a lovely card from former editor Karen Ott Mayer with a picture of rosemary from her Moon Hollow Farm in Como. The card said the pungent herb is sacred to remembrance and friendship. And then I remembered I have indeed grown something successfully: rosemary. For me, my rosemary bush symbolizes persistence and tenacity. I moved it from Atlanta in a pot almost 20 years ago, and today it towers above my head at the corner of my back door. I wish I knew why it flourished when so many of my other gardening projects failed.
I hope our green and growing stories in this issue will inspire readers to keep trying for the perfect plants, lawns and gardens. If you have a small space, don’t despair… check out Jason Frye’s story about container and vertical gardening. And James Richardson tells us why “playing in the dirt” is a healthy habit.
With so many gardening stories, we decided to add a little entertainment to the mix —specifically the new Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian. Writer Julia Miller gives us a sneak peek of The MAX, which is set to open in late April and will honor and remember many legendary Mississippians.
Here’s to rosemary – may we all be tenacious when it comes to remembering friendships and the beauty of nature.